Living in Montreal · Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension · 2026 neighbourhood guide
The last central borough where a condo sells under $500,000 in under a month: three neighbourhoods, one guide.
Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension groups three neighbourhoods that share little but an entry price: Villeray, the plex-and-café neighbourhood around rue Villeray and Parc Jarry; Saint-Michel, working-class and multicultural, with the Petit Maghreb and a former quarry becoming a major park; Parc-Extension, dense, immigrant, next to the Université de Montréal's MIL campus. In Q2 2026 condos sold for $479,000 (-3 %) in 28 days, the shortest delay on the whole island, and the market favoured sellers in every range. Jarry, De Castelnau, Parc and Fabre stations (orange and blue lines) connect it downtown.
Villeray is the neighbourhood Montrealers have called "the next Rosemont" for fifteen years: plexes from 1920 to 1950, maple-lined streets, rue Villeray and rue Jarry lined with cafés, bakeries and neighbourhood restaurants, and Parc Jarry as its lung. Saint-Michel, east of Highway 40 and boulevard Pie-IX, is the borough's working-class neighbourhood, shaped by Maghrebi, Haitian and Latin American immigration, with the Petit Maghreb on Jean-Talon and large park projects on the former quarry. Parc-Extension, west of the railway, is one of Canada's densest and most multicultural neighbourhoods, changing fast since the Université de Montréal's MIL campus opened on its border.
Villeray splits between the west (around Saint-Laurent and De Castelnau station, the most sought-after and expensive) and the east (toward Papineau and Saint-Michel, more accessible). Saint-Michel offers the borough's cheapest plexes and condos, with quiet residential streets north of Jean-Talon. Parc-Extension, long the neighbourhood of newcomers, sees prices rise along avenue du Parc and near the campus while keeping affordable housing to the north.
The orange line serves Villeray at Jarry and De Castelnau; the blue line crosses the borough west to east at Parc, Fabre, D'Iberville and Saint-Michel. Parc station is also an exo train station (Saint-Jérôme line). Buses on Jean-Talon, Jarry, Saint-Michel and Papineau complete the network. Highways 40 and 15 border the borough, which matters for those working in Laval or the west.
Parc Jarry is one of the island's large parks, with the IGA Stadium and its sports facilities; Parc Frédéric-Back, built on the former Miron quarry in Saint-Michel, is becoming one of Montreal's largest. Rue Villeray, rue Jarry, rue Jean-Talon (Petit Maghreb) and avenue du Parc concentrate the shops; Jean-Talon Market is on the southern edge.
The borough falls under the Centre de services scolaire de Montréal and the English Montreal School Board. The Université de Montréal's MIL campus (sciences) borders Parc-Extension; the circus arts city (TOHU, National Circus School) is in Saint-Michel. Hôpital Jean-Talon serves the sector; libraries, pools and arenas are spread across the three districts.
Villeray has the island's fastest condo: 28 days in Q2 2026, for a $479,000 median (-3 % year over year, +20 % in five years). Houses are rare ($717,500 twelve-month median); the plex is the core product. The market favours sellers in every condo range, with 3.4 to 4.7 months of inventory.
| APCIQ sector, Q2 2026 | Single-family, median | 1 year | 12 months | 5 years | Days | Condo, median | 1 year | 5 years | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Villeray | n/a | n/a | $717,500 | 24 % | n/a | $479,000 | -3 % | 20 % | 28 |
| Island of Montreal, all | $834,250 | 4% | $810,000 | 21 % | 41 | $483,000 | 0% | 19 % | 54 |
The balance of power by price range (four months of inventory separates a seller's market from a balanced one; beyond eight, the buyer leads):
| Price range (condo, 12 months to Q2 2026) | Months of inventory | Market |
|---|---|---|
| < 230K | 0.0 months | Seller |
| 230K - 350K | 4.7 months | Seller |
| 350K - 580K | 4.2 months | Seller |
| 580K - 690K | 4.1 months | Seller |
| >= 690K | 3.4 months | Seller |
In August 2026 the island of Montreal sold single-family homes for $820,000 (+2 %) in 57 days and condos for $475,000, with record listings downtown; the monthly picture is in the island's August 2026 report and the Montreal condo market.
For those who want Rosemont or the Plateau without the price: a plex, a condo in a plex, the metro, cafés, a major park. For a first-time buyer aiming for the city, it is one of the last entry points under $500,000 in condos. Less so for those who want absolute quiet or a detached house: the borough is dense, highways are never far, and single-family homes are few.
See living in Rosemont, first-time home buyer in Montreal and the Montreal condo market.
The sector's median condo was $479,000 in Q2 2026 (-3 % year over year, 20 % in five years), sold in 28 days according to the APCIQ. The actual price depends on the building, the floor and the condition.
Single-family sales are too rare for a reliable quarterly median; over twelve months the median was $717,500 (3%). Plexes (2 to 5 units) make up a large share of the housing stock; their price is documented on closed sales on the street, not on a borough average.
It is one of the last central boroughs where a condo sells under $500,000 ($479,000 median in Q2 2026), with the metro and shops on foot. The catch: it sells in 28 days, so you need a pre-approval in hand.
Also available in French: version française de ce guide.
Published September 5, 2026 by the Loaa & Manseur team, the number 1 team at RE/MAX Platine in 2024 and 2025, 6th RE/MAX team in Quebec, 15th in Canada and in the global top 50 according to the official RE/MAX ranking. Tell us about your project.
Équipe no 1 de RE/MAX Platine en 2024 et en 2025, 6e au Québec, 15e au Canada et dans le top 50 mondial au classement officiel RE/MAX. Réponse en moins de 24 heures, sept jours sur sept.